Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Week 9• Operating System
– Uses
• Network Operating System– Fundamentals– Architecture
• Windows 2000 family– Windows 2003
• Windows NT 4 • UNIX family• Linux flavours• Apple Macintosh OS• Novell NetWare family
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Week 10
NO COMPUTER PLATFORMS
LECTURES OR LABS NEXT WEEK
1st - 5th DECEMBER
USE THE TIME TO WORK ON YOUR ASSIGNMENTS AND DO
BACKGROUND READING
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Operating System• Traditionally the OS is the interface
between the user and the computer• Interact and control computer
hardware• No capability to connect to remote
computers– Essentially ‘stand alone’ machines
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Network Operating System• Provides network communication protocols
– E.g.-• TCP/IP• NetBEUI / NetBIOS• AppleTalk• IPX/SPX
• Provides interaction with network hardware– Network Interface Card (NIC)
– Media access
– Router configuration
• Allows remote access to other computers– File /Application Sharing
– Administration / Control
– Cluster processing
– etc.
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Network Operating System• Hybrid NOS
– Windows 3.11– Windows 95 / 98– Apple Mac OS 7.x
• True NOS’s– UNIX– Novell Netware– Windows NT 4
• Server and Workstation
– Windows 2000• Server and Workstation
– Windows XP– Mac OS X
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
NOS Architecture• Client / Server
– Centralised file / application sharing
– Centralised control / administration
– One or more servers• File server• Application server• etc.
– Good security• If correctly configured
– Scalable• Add more servers / clients
– Expensive• Server and workstation software
– Select few people in charge of administration• Good or bad?
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
NOS Architecture• Peer-to-peer
– Everybody’s equal– No priority– No central control– Software cheap– Easy to set-up
• No specialist configuration
– Poor security– Suits:
• Small Home / Office LANs
• Networks in a single room
• Networks with no interconnection requirements
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Windows 2000 Server• IIS 5
– Internet Information Server• A web server
• VPN Server– Virtual Private Networking– Allowing remote dial-in connections
• Active Directory– Central control over all shared resources and
users throughout an entire network
• Requirements– Intel Pentium 133 Mhz or higher
– 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM
– 1.0 GB hard disk space
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Windows 2000 Professional• AKA - Windows 2000 Workstation• Used for P2P or Client / Server
– Client for WIN2k Server
• Features of Win 98 + NT4• Support for:
– 4Gb RAM– 2 Processors using SMP
• Symmetric Multiprocessing
– Plug ‘n’ Play
• NTFS File System– Security & Sharing
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
UNIX• Developed by Ken Thompson & Dennis
Ritchie at Bell labs / AT&T• Multi-user
– More than one person suing the OS at a time• Multitasking
– Each user can run more than one process• Platform independent
– Runs on almost any hardware platform• Was free at first but now expensive
– Especially for PC• Complex to understand• Large distribution• User control and administration• Used as multiple types of server
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Linux• Developed by Linus Torvalds• Attempt to provide functionality of UNIX in a free, easier to
use form• Particularly aimed at PC users• Two parts:
– Kernel• The Linux operations section• The UNIX part of things
– Distribution• Particular flavour of Linux
• Control and admin– Users can be created an deleted by an admin (root or su)– Users are organised into groups
• Open source– Free! (more or less)
• Many now have a windows style interface– Easy to get to grips with– Some expertise is required to become a master
• Low hardware requirements– 100 MHz CPU, 12Mb RAM, 500Mb HDD
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Linux Distributions• Lots of different flavours• Usually based around one main Linux
Distribution– SuSE– Red Hat
• Mandrake
• Vine
– Caldera– Debian
• LindowsOS
• Morphix
• Many free and open source applications being developed
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Novell NetWare• Versions 5 and 6 most common• Sharing of resources
– Novell Directory Services (NDS)– NDS e-directory
• Network Services– Mail servers– Print servers– Etc.
• Clients & servers• Often found running alongside another OS
– Such as Windows 9x, NT, 2000– As a client piece of software on workstations
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Mac OS X Server• Developed by Apple Computers• Based on UNIX architecture• Designed to be run on Apple Xserve
computer• File / resource sharing
– Open directory
• Network admin– Workgroup management
• Network services– Mail– Web– Etc.
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Mac OS X• Developed by Apple Computers• Based on UNIX architecture• Customisable GUI• Can connect to other networks
– Windows– Novell– UNIX
• Network client software• SMP support
Stuart Cunningham - Computer Platforms - 2003
Features of a NOS• User must logon to the computer /
server– User name– Password
• Organisation of users• Rights and privelages• Sharing of data• Provision of network services• Application services• Above all, communication